My (fake) Wedding

MIRACLES AND ABSOLUTION

Annika wakes up to the sound of some heavy breathing. She blinks her eyes slowly and try to open them. Everything seems blurry and there is a bright light coming from somewhere. The voices feels muffled and she can't breathe properly and then she jolts in the seat and try to stand up but something is restraining her to the chair.

S: "Jaan- hey. Sssshhh. You need to calm down Annika. Take a deep breath, dear."

That voice. She knows that voice, can never forget it. She turns her head to see Shivaay's sitting next to her, holding her hands between his. He looks tired, exhausted and worried with dark circles under his brilliant dazzling eyes.

"Wha-" she tries to speak but her throat is so dry, so finds herself breaking out into coughs instead. Shivaay shushes her again and brings a glass of water to her lips. She takes a sip, and the water cools her throat.

"You fainted Jaan," Shivaay says slowly "Do you remember? After listening to Viren Bhaiya."

Suddenly realization dawns on her, the call telling her that they have decided to take Gauri off life support. How can they do this to her? Were they just waiting for the moment that once she is distracted enough they would pull the plug and end her cousin's life? Tears blurred her vision and swallowing thickly she looked at the worried man beside her and murmured "Jaan I am sorry, but it's urgent I need to return back home."

Shivaay breathes a long shuddering breath and then gives her a small smile saying "I know. Viren bhaiya told me about Gauri. See we are in the flight, we are going home."

Annika finally looks at the surroundings, the familiar plane and looks outside the window to notice the blissfully blue and dramatically cloudy sky. For a moment she doesn't know how to react and then looking at the reassuring smile that Shivaay's giving her she nods her head and gathering her courage asks "What do you mean you know about Gauri. What did bhaiya tell you?"

Shivaay looks at her anxious face and tightening his grip on her hand murmurs " Nothing much. Just that she is your cousin, and that you guys had an accident a few years ago where she went into a vegetative state and today they have decided to pull her off life support."

Annika's face pale even more than it already had and removing her hands from his grip she nods and tries to hide her tears by turning away from him towards the window. Shivaay is torned seeing this oh so vibrant and full of life girl in such a condition. He has never felt such a pain and doesn't know how to comfort her, so without thinking much he covers her shoulders in his embrace and gives her a hug. Annika hides her face in his chest, she hasn't realised when those warm arms had became her safe place, her comfort, her home.

Shivaay giving a quick kiss to her hairs tells her "I know this must be difficult for you. I know it is in the past that you are reluctant to share, but maybe keeping mum about it hasn't helped you much. So how about you share it with me and I promise to not ever judge you for anything Jaan. Just let it all out. Just tell me how you are feeling. Stop suffering alone. Please. I can't look at you hurting like this."

Annika with a sob looks into his pleading eyes and can see the pain she is suffering from reflected in them. Deciding to tell him everything she holds his hands and tell him all that had happened on her 21st Birthday. She let it all out how she and Gauri were inseparable! How well they knew each other! How one mistake-one accident have destroyed their family! How it was probably her fault and how she has been living with this guilt since forever!

Listening to his girl blaming herself for the accident Shivaay doesn't know what infuriates him more - the fact that she is guilt ridden or the one that her family had done nothing to ease that guilt. He cups her face in both of his hands and tells her seriously "Jaan it was not your fault. What is the guarantee that the car would not have hit yours if the wheels weren't turned? What if it had hit you guys in such a manner that instead of one fatal injury all three of you were injured badly? The mistake was solely of that runaway driver who didn't had the decency to check on a car he hit. So stop blaming yourself."